At 4:57 PM IST, the ISRO launched what PM Modi had called India’s priceless gift – the South Asia Satellite.
At 4:57 PM IST, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched what PM Modi had called India’s priceless gift – the South Asia Satellite. The rocket was successfully launched from Sriharikota spaceport.
The satellite, which features seven out of eight SAARC countries, aims to benefit all the countries in the region. The South Asia Satellite or GSAT-9 took a piggyback ride on the Indian space agency's rocket GSLV-F09 with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage.
The South Asia Satellite was on Friday launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV F-09 carrying the communication and broadcasting satellite took from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 4.57 p.m.
PM Modi took to Twitter to congratulate ISRO on successfully launching the South Asia satellite and also said that all leaders from of South Asia including Afghanistan President Ghani, PM Hasina, Bhutan President Tshering Tobgay , Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, Nepal President Prachanda and Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena would be joining in via videoconferencing to celebrate the event.
He wrote on Twitter: "Successful launch of South Asian Satellite is a historic moment. It opens up new horizons of engagement. This will also greatly benefit South Asia & our region’s progress. I congratulate the team of scientists who worked hard for the successful launch of South Asia Satellite. We are very proud of them. @isro. The historic occasion has been made better with a surprise- we have leaders of South Asian nations joining us in celebrating this launch. I welcome President @ashrafghani, PM Hasina, PM @tsheringtobgay, @presidencymv Abdulla Yameen, PM Prachanda, President @MaithripalaS.
He added: "All the leaders will take part & address the programme via video conferencing at 5.30 PM this evening. The support and presence of these leaders will add even more joy in the hearts & minds of our region. We are a united family of South Asian countries, united in our pursuit of peace, progress & prosperity of our region & the entire humankind.
PM Modi said after the launch: “Grateful to fellow leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives & Sri Lanka for joining me to celebrate this launch. Our coming together is a sign of our unshakeable resolve to place the needs of our peoples in the forefront. Through this we will achieve effective communication, better governance, better banking services & better education in remote areas.”
He added: “Space technology will touch the lives of our people in the region. ISRO team has led from the front in developing the South Asia Satellite as per the regions' requirements and flawlessly launching it. Convinced that when we join hands & mutually share fruits of knowledge, technology & growth, we can speed up development and prosperity. Through this cooperation, we have to work for the poor and the deprived.”
Launching aboard the Indian space agency's rocket GSLV-F09, the South Asia Satellite or GSAT-9 costs around Rs 235 crore and is meant for providing communication and disaster support and connectivity among the countries of South Asia region. Its mission life will span 12 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent radio address to the nation ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has said the South Asia Satellite is India’s gift to the region, that will go a long way in addressing the economic and development priorities of the nations in the region.
The 28-hour countdown for the launch of the South Asia Satellite or GSAT-9 is progressing smoothly at the spaceport.
Six of India’s neighbours including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are participating in the space-based regional communication project.
The satellite weighing 2230 kilogram during lift off and carrying 12 Ku-Band transponders has been developed at a cost of about 235-crore rupees and the total cost of the project including the launch is worked out to be about 450-crore rupees.
The intended operational life of the satellite is more than 12 years and it cost Rs. 235 crore.
The GSAT-9 is a Geostationary Communication Satellite and data from it will be shared with the other five countries. It will help to meet the growing telecommunications and broadcasting needs of the region. All participating nations will have access to at least one transponder using which they can telecast their own programming.
The satellite is expected to provide communication channels between countries for better disaster management as the region is prone to natural disasters.
The national space agency ISRO uses the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage in this flight of the GSLV for the fourth time. In total, it would be the 11th flight of the GSLV.
In short, as envisaged by Prime Minister Modi, it is a satellite sans frontiers, for the nations to grow together.
Soon after taking over as the Prime Minister in 2014, Modi had made a unilateral proposal of India launching the satellite whose data would be shared with the eight SAARC countries for their development.
Initially, it was to be named as 'SAARC Satellite' but its name was changed to South Asia Satellite after Pakistan refused to join the project.
Basically, the satellite is meant for providing communication and disaster support, connectivity among the countries of South Asia region.
It will provide a significant capability to each of the participating countries in terms of DTH, certain VSAT capacity plus linking among the states for both disaster information transfer and also in terms of library type of things.
The satellite was initially proposed to be launched in December last year but it got delayed.
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